The Best U College Admissions Consulting

On Tuesday, March 12, 2019, the media announced an admissions scandal charging 33 parents (including two actresses), college athletic coaches, and an independent college counselor of fraud and bribery in the college application process. Coaches accepted payoffs to recruit non-athletes to their highly selective colleges, testing administrators were paid off to give students answers and change test scores, and much more. Millions of dollars were paid to this independent college counselor by parents to fabricate admissions and athletic criteria, so their students could get into big name schools. If you are not familiar with this scandal, check out this article for details – https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/13/u... The independent college consultant at the helm of the scandal used the college athletic recruitment process as the key to getting students into highly selective Division 1 universities around the United States. Yes, athletes at the most competitive level often go through a ...

Too many high school students add more undue stress to their lives when it comes to college admissions testing. Learn why focusing on just one test, the ACT or the SAT can save time, money, stress, and energy. https://thebestu.net/

The Best U College Admissions Consulting  is a team of college admissions experts that use their experiences as university admissions counselors and high school counselors to take the guesswork out of the college admissions process. At the cornerstone of The Best U’s services is the importance placed on determining each student’s college admissions needs and empowering students to find their right next steps. Our goal is to provide families with as much information as we can in order to help them navigate and manage their admissions process in a stress free and empowered way. The Best U college counseling team members are considered college admissions experts, and their advice/professional perspective is through the college admissions lens. In meetings, the team can focus on any of the following aspects of the process. MIDDLE SCHOOL Discussion around high school choices Course selection for 9th-grade classes Planning for high school activities Overview of the c...

This is a tough question to answer because it all depends on the type of schools you want to apply to. A strong score for one school may be a noncompetitive score for another school. Instead of getting fixated on a particular test score being a “good score”, I recommend two things. Take practice tests so you can start to determine your testing abilities, strengths/weakness, and you can start to see what range you are testing within. Or work with a testing expert to help you to determine your testing goals, the scores you will most likely achieve, and determine testing abilities and limitations. Start identifying schools you are interested in and check out the average test scores. Typically colleges will either post the middle 50th percentile test score of their accepted or enrolled freshmen students. A great resource to use to check the average ACT and SAT scores for accepted students is by going to  Collegedata.com . Collegedata has wonderful admissions information, so you...

The Best U College Admissions Consulting  is a team of college admissions experts that use their experiences as university admissions counselors and high school counselors to take the guesswork out of the college admissions process. At the cornerstone of The Best U’s services is the importance placed on determining each student’s college admissions needs and empowering students to find their right next steps. Our goal is to provide families with as much information as we can in order to help them navigate and manage their admissions process in a stress free and empowered way. The Best U college counseling team members are considered college admissions experts, and their advice/professional perspective is through the college admissions lens. In meetings, the team can focus on any of the following aspects of the process. MIDDLE SCHOOL Discussion around high school choices Course selection for 9th-grade classes Planning for high school activities Overview of the...

Watch this free video to learn more about the admissions process for students applying to colleges and majors in creative careers in the visual arts. If you are wanting to apply to fine arts majors, then check this video out to get admission tips and practical suggestions on how to make the college admission process smoother and more successful. Experienced professionals in the fields of arts education, art portfolio development, and college admissions counseling, Virginia Schick the owner of Art College Prep and Stacy Hernandez from The Best U College Admissions Consulting , important tips in the college admissions process for visual arts applicants. Virginia is a key resource to help students develop their art portfolios, manage the art admissions process, and get the top art scholarships. These suggestions can also be applied to high school and college students wanting to apply to art programs along with parents and high school counselors.  Visit The Best U to ...

The Best U College Admissions Consulting  is a team of college admissions experts that use their experiences as university admissions counselors and high school counselors to take the guesswork out of the college admissions process. At the cornerstone of The Best U’s services is the importance placed on determining each student’s college admissions needs and empowering students to find their right next steps. Our goal is to provide families with as much information as we can in order to help them navigate and manage their admissions process in a stress free and empowered way. The Best U college counseling team members are considered college admissions experts, and their advice/professional perspective is through the college admissions lens. In meetings, the team can focus on any of the following aspects of the process. MIDDLE SCHOOL Discussion around high school choices Course selection for 9th-grade classes Planning for high school activities Overview of the c...

Many students are intrigued by taking a gap year between high school and college. If you are considering it, then check out this video to learn where to start. Visit The Best U to learn more

The Best U College Counseling team would be happy to meet with you to discuss your specific high school course selection process. We like to start with a free introductory call to learn more about your admissions needs and then we dive into a counseling meeting to discuss course selection in detail. Feel free to book a free call by going to https://thebestu.net

On Tuesday, March 12, 2019, the media announced an admissions scandal charging 33 parents (including two actresses), college athletic coaches, and an independent college counselor of fraud and bribery in the college application process. Coaches accepted payoffs to recruit non-athletes to their highly selective colleges, testing administrators were paid off to give students answers and change test scores, and much more. Millions of dollars were paid to this independent college counselor by parents to fabricate admissions and athletic criteria, so their students could get into big name schools. If you are not familiar with this scandal, check out this article for details – https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/13/us/what-we-know-college-admissions-cheating-scandal/index.html The independent college consultant at the helm of the scandal used the college athletic recruitment process as the key to getting students into highly selective Division 1 universities around the United States...

With the cost of college increasing every year, the burden of paying for college is shifting to not only the parents. Check out this video to understand how colleges are expecting students to contribute to the cost of college. Visit The Best U to learn more

When I look at the photo included on this blog post, I think of me as a mother and my deep desire to be with my kids every step of the way. As I write this blog, I am coming at it from two ways: 1) as an almost twenty-year veteran in college admissions sharing my experiences of what seems to work, and 2) as a mother of a teenager and pre-teen trying to practice what I preach with my own children. Parents often ask me what their role should be in their student’s college admissions process. There is definitely a healthy way to be involved and a not-so-healthy way. Your whole goal of the college admissions process is to support your student through the transition to adulthood. Being mindful of this goal can help bring this process into perspective and make for a more amicable experience with your student. After dedicating almost two decades of my professional life to the college admissions process, I have discovered the more parents can allow for students to be self-reflective a...

Before starting to build your college list and explore college choices, it is important for you to determine what factors are most important for you in a college environment, so you can find the best fit colleges.  Learn more at  https://thebestu.net/

This is a tough question to answer because it all depends on the type of schools you want to apply to. A strong score for one school may be a noncompetitive score for another school. Instead of getting fixated on a particular test score being a “good score”, I recommend two things. Take practice tests so you can start to determine your testing abilities, strengths/weakness, and you can start to see what range you are testing within. Or work with a testing expert to help you to determine your testing goals, the scores you will most likely achieve, and determine testing abilities and limitations. Start identifying schools you are interested in and check out the average test scores. Typically colleges will either post the middle 50th percentile test score of their accepted or enrolled freshmen students. A great resource to use to check the average ACT and SAT scores for accepted students is by going to Collegedata.com . Collegedata has wonderful admissions information, so you...

It is important to think of summer as a part of your overall extracurricular experience. When applying to colleges and universities in the United States, you will have to fill out a list of your activities. On the activities list, colleges will look for school year and summer experiences. Participating in summer experiences not only can be very rewarding to you personally, but also, can make you a more interesting applicant. You will have a more in-depth activities list and you will have more to say in your college applications. Keep your future application activities list in mind when you are selecting summer opportunities. The most important thing to consider when selecting summer experiences is to follow your interests and passions. Doing the things that you find most compelling will help your application shine and will allow for enriching personal experiences. Keep an open mind and think outside of the box. You have more time on your hands during the summer, so you can pl...

When you are planning college visits, it is most ideal to schedule a formal visit through the undergraduate admissions office. During the application process, many colleges will track the interest level of students. Documenting your formal admissions campus visit is one of the most important ways to demonstrate your interest. Typically, the formal admissions visit lasts 1.5 to 2.5 hours and typically includes a tour and information session. It is a valuable way to learn more about the colleges you are interested in. If you want to add to your visit experience, consider going off the beaten path and do some of the following… Observe Students & Talk To People – Walk around campus and talk to students, faculty, and administrators that don’t work in the admissions office. Observe the students and see if they are engaged and socializing with others. Eat On-Campus – Eat lunch or grab a coffee on-campus to get the vibe of the students, professors, and administrator...